Next Music from Tokyo 2014: Photos from Vancouver J-Rock Show

Music, Photos

Japanese indie rock invades Vancouver

Japan grabbed me in a way I had not experienced for many years. Since visiting last autumn, I’ve been aching to go back.

However, last night Japan came to me.

Next Music from Tokyo is the brainchild of  Toronto anaesthesiologist Steven Tanaka, who puts together this microfestival by himself.  This is the sixth year of the cross-Canada tour, and my first. I cannot recommend Next Music from Tokyo enough, even though I understood less than 1% of the lyrics.  The musicianship was superb, and the energy electric.

My photos from the show weren’t all that great: all I had to shoot with was my duct-taped Nexus 4. However, I shoot photos the way that Nate Dogg suggested smoking weed, i.e. every day. So here are a few images.

Here’s Emi Ohki, vocalist and bassist of 宇宙コンビニ (Uchu Conbini). She is so awesome.

Emi Ohki

Here’s Sato, guitarist and vocalist of きのこ帝国 (Kinoko Teikoku), showing Vancouverites how it’s done across the Pacific.

Sato

Here’s Shigeaki Taniguchi, bassist of きのこ帝国 (Kinoko Teikoku), doing a last-minute tune before facing the crowd.

Shigeaki Taniguchi

A perhaps-too-artsy image of Jizue in action.

About Jordan

Jordan Matthew Yerman started writing during his third year of high school, where his teacher discouraged his use of the eff-word as "crude, unnecessary and uncouth". While attending UC San Diego for his degree in Political Science, Jordan picked up acting; he would later attend the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, living in the UK for four years before relocating to New York City. To get by, he has worked as a proofreader, model, technical consultant, HR trainer, sign-placer, sales director, crate stacker, bartender, photographer, real estate broker, and as an exhibit at the Bronx Museum. As an actor, Jordan has performed in the USA, England, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, and Netherlands, from stage to indie screen to voiceover, including London's West End. Jordan has been around the world 2 3/4 times. He currently lives in Vancouver and works in New Media; capital N, capital M. You can reach him via jordan at international jet trash dot com.